Winding-indicator for watches.



L. L. D. ELDERKIN.

WINDING INDICATOR FOR WATCHES. AYPLIUATION rum) 00T.16, 1909.

966,671 Patented Aug. 9, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

III

WITNESSES.

Attorneys.

L. L. D. BLDERKIN. WINDING IHDIGATOR FOR WATCHES. APPLICATION FILED00T.16, 190a.

966,671. I Patented Aug. 9, 1910.

2 8HEETS-8KEET 2.

WITNESSES. ZJV'V'ENTOR.

Attorneys.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LESTER L. D. ELDERKIN, OF ROXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS.

WINDING-INDICATOR FOR WATCHES.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LESTER L. D. ELDER- KIN, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain, residing at Roxbury, county of Suffolk,

State of Massachusetts, have invented a oer-- tain new and usefulImprovement in IVinding-Indicators for lVatches, and declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and eXactdescription of the same, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make anduse the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, whichform a part of this specification.

This invention relates to indicators for watches.

It has for its object an improved indicating device to be applied towatches for the purpose of indicating the condition of the main spring,and is so arranged to indicate to the carrier of the watch, who looks atthe face thereof, whether or not the main spring be unwound to about itslast turn, the indicator continuing to show the condition of tension ofthe spring such that the watch will continue to run for a few hours, butthat it needs re-winding, or will need rewinding within a short period.This attachment is made to the post that carries the drum on which thespring is wound, and consists essentially of a member that slides alongthe axis of the post and carries the indicator at its end, whichindicator is shown in the present application as being one that opensout like the leaf of a book, and which may carry a cover on that side ofthe folding part which is turned toward the end of the post, but whichat the last part of the travel of the indicating member is turnedoutward, and shows its covered face through the inspection hole in theface of the watch.

In the drawings :F igure 1, is a vertical section through the drum,barrel and post of the watch; the sliding member is seen in elevation.Fig. 2, is a section at right angles to the section shown in Fig. 1.Fig. 3, shows a sliding member raised with the folding leaf in positionto turn. Fig. 4, is a cross section at the line a a Fig. 2; theimmediately surrounding portion of the drum member is indicated by thesurrounding irregular line. Fig. 5, is a cross section at the line bb,Fig. 1. Fig. 6, indicates the location of the indicator on the face ofthe watch. Fig. 7, shows another form of indicator, wherein theindicator lies and travels in a plane substantially parallel with thatSpecification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 16, 1909.

Patented A11 9, 1910. Serial No. 523,067.

of the drum and the watch casing, about an axis parallel wit-h that ofthe barrel and its arbor. Fig. 8, is a plan view of the cover plate, ofthis modified type. Fig. 9, is a cross section at line (&(6 Fig. 7. Fig.10, is a plan view of the indicator disk. Fig. 11, is a section at linebb of Fig. 7. Fig. 12, is a vertical section of'assembled parts of thesecond form.

The barrel 1 is mounted on the arbor 2, integral with which is the drum8. The arbor 2 is provided with a groove that runs parallel with itsaxis and along one side thereof. The upper part of the arbor is reducedto a smaller diameter than its normal diameter, and is provided w'th acollar 4 that is secured to the arbor, and increases the size of thereduced arbor to its normal diameter. Between the collar 1 and the drum3 is inserted a nut member or bar member 5, screw threaded and providedwith wings 6, that engage in slots 7 made in the walls of the barrel. Inthe groove 7 made in the arbor 2 is inserted a mutilated screw 8provided with a thread adapted to engage the threads of the nut 5. Thismutilated screw 8 carries at its upper end pivotally connected with it aleaf 9 which is normally turned to face and lie in contact with theupper surface 10 of the mutilated screw 8. The leaf 9 is provided on itshinge line, and on that sidevof it which lies away from the screw 8 withtwo projecting lugs 11 and 12, that form in efiect the two teethof arack. On the top of the post 2 and back of the groove or channel 7 is abracket 13 that carries a bar lt properly located to engage with thearms or lugs 11 and 12, or a small secondary groove 15 at the back ofthe groove 7, especially for the arm 11 in its travel with the slidingmember 8 and a clearance way for the arm 11 in the turning movementtoward the close of the outward travel of the sliding member 8.

The operation of the device is as follows hen the spring is wound thebarrel is turned with respect to the arbor, or the arbor with respect tothe barrel and the barrel carries the nut 5 with it in rotation, orholds the nut 5 if the rotary movement be given to the arbor. The actionof the nut 5 on the sliding screw 8 actuates the sliding screw along thegroove 7 until it is in position shown in Fig. 1, which position istaken when the main spring is fully wound. As the main spring unwindsthe turning of one part with respect to the other gradually transfersthe sliding member 8 to the position shown in Fig. 2. During themovement of the sliding screw from the position shown in Fig. 3 to theposition shown in Fig. 2, the lugs on the back of the leaf 9 en gage thecross bar of the bracket 13, and open out the leaf to the position shownin Fig. 2; preferably the top of the sliding member 8 and the inner faceof the leaf 9 are colored with some color distinct from that of the dialso that the sliding member and leaf as seen through the inspection holein the dial of the watch show distinctly by reason not only of theproximity of the leaf to the face, but by reason of the distinct color.In the second form shown in Figs. 7 to 12 the arbor 20 is grooved and inthe groove 21 is a mutilated screw 22, the top of which is preferablyvery slightly inclined to the axis of the screw; the throat through thebarrel cover 23 is threaded to engage the screw; a cap 24 rests on topof the arbor 20, and is so secured to the arbor that it turns with it,but is easily disengaged when the watch is to be taken apart. Such ameans of securing the cap to the arbor, comprising an eccentricperiphery to the arbor for a short distance from its extreme end, whichengages in a corresponding eccentric flange to the cap, is shown in thefigures; the cap, 24, is provided with an opening 25, through whichprojects a spur 26, that projects from the surface of a disk 27 pivotedto the cap. The upper surface of the cap 24 shown in Fig. 8 is dividedinto segments, and the segments are colored alternately with two colors.These segments which in the nor mal position of the disk, that is, inthe position which the disk assumes when the watch is wound, have thesame color as the color of the disk 27. These segments which lie underthe retained parts of the disk 27 differ in color from the basic colorof the disk.

The disk 27 is pivotally mounted above the cap 24 with the pin 26hanging into the opening 25 in the cap 24. Segmental openings are cutthrough the disk 27 corresponding in number to the colored segments onthe cap 24. The disk 27 is normally held by a spring 30 with theretained parts of the disk covering those segments of the cap which arecolored with a distinctive color, and the disk therefore normallyconceals the distinctive colored segments. The mutilated screw, towardthe close of its travel along the groove toward the indicator, engagesthe inclined face of the spur 26, and turns the disk 27 on its axis, anddiscloses the colored portions of the cap, which may be now seen throughthe openings in the disk. In this form of device the screw is projectedby the turning barrel and retracted by the turning arbor, and theindicating change occurs either when the screw is nearing the end of itstravel outward or is leaving its contact with the spur during the firstperiod of its travel inward, the disk making an oscillation in onedirection under the first condition and the return oscillation under thesecond condition.

What I claim is 1. In combination with the barrel and a grooved postmember of a watch, a mutilated screw adapted to slide in said groove, ahollow screw adapted to drive said mutilated screw in longitudinalmovement, and an indicating terminal to said screw, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a watch, in combination with a barrel, a grooved post therefor, ascrew adapted to slide longitudinally of said post, a leaf membermounted on the end of said screw, and means for turning the said leafmember outward, substantially as described.

3. In a watch, in combination with a barrel, a longitudinal slottedpost, a mutilated screw member adapted to travel in said post, a nutmember carried by the barrel and adapted to actuate said mutilated screwmember, a folded leaf pivotally connected to the-end of said screwmember, a bracket adapted to engage a projection on said leaf and foldit outward toward the closing travel of said screw member and to fold itinward at the beginning of the return travel, substantially asdescribed.

4. In combination a grooved post, a member adapted to slide in saidgroove, and an indicator means on the end of said sliding member foractuating said indicator, said means being hinged on the top and beingadapted to be displaced from such position and to be moved about itshinged edge as a center by engagement against a projection from saidpost.

5. The combination, in a watch, of a movable supporting member, apivoted indicator member capable of movement with respect thereto, meansfor causing the supporting member to move perpendicularly with respectto the plane of the watch, and a trip member against which saidindicator mem ber is adapted to engage when said supporting member isactuated, substantially as described.

6. A winding indicator for watches, having in combination an arbormember having a path of travel perpendicular to the plane of the watch,a movable indicator member normally out of contact therewith, and meansfor actuating the arbor member with respect to the indicator memberwhereby the latter is moved into a position of observability,substantially as described.

7. A winding indicator for watches, hav ing in combination with a dial,an indicating disk capable of movement with respect thereto, and anarbor member normally out of engagement with said disk, adapted to beactuated by the mechanism of the watch against the disk to cause theprojection of the same into observable position with respect to thedial, substantially as described.

8. A Winding indicator for watches, hav ing in combination a dial, aplate differing in color from said dial, means for shifting the plate,and means for returning the plate to its normal position.

9. A Winding indicator for watches, having in combination an arborprovided with alongitudinal track, a threaded member adapted to travelalong said track, means whereby the wlndmg of said watch actuates thetraveler in one direction and the relaxing 1 LESTER L. D. E-LDERKIN.

Vitnesses CHARLES F. BURTON, ELLIOTT J. STODDARD.

